Own It!
Four chef/entrepreneurs have something to prove in the Chopped kitchen. In the first round, will their hearts sink when they see hearts of palm and rabbit escabeche in the basket? And a curious ingredient substitution leaves the judges perplexed. Then three chefs fight to make goat chops a great main dish ... or risk being chopped. And it's crunch time for two finalists, when they must make dessert using blue corn tortilla chips. Contestants *Miguel Escobedo, Chef and Restaurateur, Papalote Mexican Grill, San Francisco, CA *Nelly Godfrey, Chef and Restaurateur, Lima's Taste, New York, NY *Vito Facciabene, Chef and Restaurateur, Vibano's Trattoria, Bronx, NY *Kris Wessel, Chef and Restaurateur, Red Light, Miami, FL Judges *Marcus Samuelsson *Alex Guarnaschelli *Chris Santos Meal Appetizer Ingredients: Injera, Hearts of Palm, Mâche, Rabbit Escabeche Miguel made Rabbit Escabeche Sopes with a Hot & Cold Salsa. Miquel forgot to use the injera. His flavors are developed far beyond the time frame, and his dish the best hands-down. Chris found a bone, and the judges question why he used corn tortillas for his sopes instead of the injera. Nelly's appetizer is Rabbit Escabeche and Injera Causa. The judges love the flavors in the causa, with the injera acting like sour cream on a baked potato. There are bones in the causa, and there is raw garlic and uncleaned mâche. Vito made Warm Rabbit Salad with Mâche Salad. The judges like the creativity of serving the mâche in the spoon, and Vito is the only chef without bones in the rabbit. He has a heavy hand on the bourbon, and he needs texture. Kris's appetizer is Rabbit & Injera Crêpe with Citrus Salad. Kris develops the ingredients well by making the injera crispy and honoring the mâche. Kris's crêpes are great, but loaded with bones. Although Miguel forgot a mystery ingredient, the judges decide to chop Chef Nelly because there were too many technical errors to overlook. Entrée Ingredients: Goat Chops, Dragon's Tongue Beans, Cinnamon Schnapps, Dark Chocolate Vito did Grilled Goat Chops with Raspberry Sauce & Sweet Potato Chips. The goat is cooked perfectly, and Vito cooked the beans the best. The sweet potatoes are very soggy, and the dish is very safe. Kris's entrée is Caribbean Goat Chop with Chocolate Rice & Beans. The judges enjoy his delicate use of the schnapps and the curry rub on the goat. The combination of the curry and chocolate is great, but the chocolate rice on its own is the worst thing made all day. Miguel made Chocolate & Coffee Rubbed Goat Chops with Beans & Blueberry Sauce. The judges love his rub on the chops and the addition of almonds to the beans, providing multiple textures. Marcus and Chris's chops are overcooked, and Miquel only gave the judges one chop each. The judges found that while the rub Chef Miguel made was one of the best things of the day, they chop him for only giving one chop and for completing overcooking Marcus's chop. Dessert Ingredients: Hollandaise Sauce, Strawberries, Walnuts, Blue Corn Tortilla Chips Kris's dessert is Blue Corn Tortilla Strawberry Tart with Hollandaise & Spiced Walnuts. The judges love his use of the tortilla chips in the tart dough and his combination of roasted and raw strawberries. The dish isn't sweet enough, and the hollandaise still has a bit of vinegar taste in it. Vito made Nacho Dolce with Whipped Cream & Strawberry Sauce. The judges enjoy his play on something personal with him and the dessert is superior to Kris's in terms of pure flavor. The tortilla chips aren't really transformed, and the dish lacks sophistication. The judges had a very painful decision to make, but in the end, they chose to chop Chef Vito for errors in technical execution. Kris is made Chopped Champion. Gallery OI Chefs.png|The chefs for the episode. From left to right: Kris, Vito, Nelly, and Miquel Miquel's Sopes.png|Miquel's Appetizer Nelly's Causa.png|Nelly's Appetizer Vito's Bourbon Salads.png|Vito's Appetizer Kris's Crêpes and Salad.png|Kris's Appetizer Vito's Grilled Chops Home Dish.png|Vito's Entrée Kris's Curry Goat and Choc. Rice.png|Kris's Entrée Miquel's Chocolate Chop.png|Miquel's Entrée Kris's Strawberry Tart.png|Kris's Dessert Vito's Nacho Dolce.png|Vito's Dessert Notes *Kris later returned as a contestant in Chopped Champions: Part 4. *Vito later returned for Chopped Redemption. Category:Episodes Category:Season 11 Category:Hearts of Palm Category:Rabbit Category:Goat Chops Category:Strawberries Category:Walnuts Category:Tortilla Chips Category:Tortillas Category:Blue Corn Tortilla Chips